Assembly device for a connector

ABSTRACT

Assembling device for a connector, comprising a fixed part and a detachable part, characterized in that each of the parts constitutes a single block made of insulating plastic material provided with cooperating means between the two parts, such that one of the two parts comprises an orientation correcting guide finger, the other part comprising an orientation correcting guide aperture, and one of the parts comprises a resilient finger supporting a locking catch, the other including a lock ridge.

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,766,515 Debaigt 1 Oct. 16, 1973 ASSEMBLY DEVICE FOR A CONNECTOR 3,179,738 4/1965 339/211 2,587,239 2/1952 339/206 X lnventor- J g Masons-Lafitte 2,800,743 7/1957 1146611611 et a1. 46/25 Fran 2,968,118 1/1961 P31113611 46/25 x [73] Assignee: C.G.E.E. Alsthom, Levallois-Perret,

France Primary ExaminerMarvin A. Champion Assistant Examiner-Robert A. Hafer [22] Flled' 1972 Att0mey-Richard C. Sughrue et a1. 21 Appl. NO; 219,433 v 57 ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data 1 Jan. 22 1971 France 7102206 Assembling device a mPrising a fixed part and a detachable part, characterized in that each 52 US. Cl. 339/198 GA 339/36 0f the Parts hsthutes Single made insulat- 51 1111. c1 H611- 9/00 ihg Plastic material Pmvided with means 58 Field Of Search 339/198 R 198 G between the that the Parts 3397198 GA 198 U 198 K 211 37 comprises an orientation correcting guide fingenthe 7 206 1 other part comprising an orientation correcting guide aperture, and one of the parts comprises a resilient [56] References Cited finger supporting a locking catch, the other including UNITED STATES PATENTS a 3,205,611 9/1965 Onanian 46/25 X 6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures ASSEMBLY DEVICE FOR A CONNECTOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an assembly device, more particularly for a wiring connector, and notably of the type having multiple terminals associated in alignment on a section.

Such a connector has a fixed base and a removable base; correct assembly requires correcting means for preventing contact between active elements of the two parts which are not to be associated with each other, guide means for directing the engagement of the parts and, finally, engagement and locking means for ensuring the maintaining in place thereof.

Such means require the use of multiple elements, generally metal (i.e., non-insulating) elements, requiring considerable machining, involving relatively delicate assembly manipulations and, finally, of a high cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to apparatus permitting the correct assembly of such a connector to be effected under the best possible conditions.

The invention relates to an assembly device, notable for a connector comprising a fixed part and a removable part, characterized in that each of the parts constitutes a single block made from insulating plastic material and provided with means for cooperation between the two parts, one of the two parts comprising a correcting and guiding finger and the other-a correcting and guiding aperture, and in that one of the parts comprises a resilient finger carrying a locking notch (or catch) whereas the other has a locking edge.

According to a further feature, the fixed part has a plurality of sets of cooperating means on its periphery.

According to a further feature, the fixed part has on its periphery three sets of cooperating means offset by a multiple of 90.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings show, by way of illustration, a preferred but non-limitative embodiment of the device according to the invention.

FIG. 1 shows an elevational view of the fixed part of the device,

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the fixed part,

FIG. 3 shows an elevational view ofthe removable part of the device,

FIG. 4 shows a left-hand view of the removable part,

FIG. 5. shows a view in section taken along the line X-Y of the removable part,

FIG. 6 shows an elevational view of the assembly of the two parts of the device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 designates the assembly of the member constituting the fixed part of the device according to the invention; the said member has at its lower portion a base 10 of known type, designed to be engaged on a conventional slidewaysystem, (not shown), having multiple terminals (also not shown) and, in its central portion, a square recess 11.

Formed in the upper face is a port 12 debouching into the central recess 11 and leaving an edge-or ridge 1ll;the said part, which is of T-shape, is shown more clearly in FIG. 2. It has, in particular, a large base 121.

The said port is prolonged on the other side of the central recess 11 in the base by a seating 12 of heelshape, the vertical edge 131 of which is aligned with the large base 121.

Formed also in the lateral left-hand and right-hand faces of the member 1, at 90 relatively to the port 12, are ports 12G and 12D of T-shape identical with the shape of the port 12 and leaving edges or ridges 112 and 113.

In FIGS. 3 and 4, reference numeral 2 designates the assembly of the member constituting the removable part of the device according to the invention; the said member is formed with aport 20 provided for assembly with the removable part of a connector (not shown).

The upper solid portion of the member 2 is formed with a slot 22 extending over the entire width thereof and separating the lower part into two limbs 23 and 24. The limb 24 supports a finger 25 terminating in a locking notch 26. I

The limb 23 supports afinger 27 terminating in a heel 28; the said finger and, in particular, the heel thereof are of T-section, as shown in .FIG. 5; the section 29 is identical with that of the sections of the ports 12, 126

and 12D.

FIG. 6 shows the assembly of the members constituted by the fixed part 1 and the removable part 2;the base 10 of the fixed part is engaged on a conventional section slideway 3.

On the other hand, there is shown in broken lines at 2G the position which the removable part 2 would occupy if it had been introduced for example into the continuous aperture via the port 12G.

The two members are made in a single block from plastics material.

The mode of functioning is as follows: Operations are effected on one of the working faces afforded by the fixed part, which corresponds to the operation element in respect of the connector base under consideration,

for example the face 12.

Then, the heel 28 of the finger 27 of the removable part is disposed opposite the port 12 on the fixed part; introduction of the heel is possible only if the T- sections of the heel and of the port are similarly oriented; this manipulation constitutes the preliminary correcting procedure.

If the orientation is suitable, the heel 28 is guided by the port 12 until it enters the seating 13, whereas the resilient finger 25 is first of all urged towards the interior of the slot 22 by the wall 121 of the port bearing on the notch(or' catch) 26, and is then freed on passage of the notch 26 on the edge 11 1 on which it is then able to bear in such manner as toprovide for positioning locking. A

In order to withdraw the removable part, it suffices to press on the limb 24 which springs in such manner as to withdraw the notch 26 from the edge 111 and exert a disengagement force.

The same procedure would have been possible if the operations had been effected on another face, for example the face 12G of the fixed part.

The advantages of the device are, notably, due to the fact that the members are made from plastic material, i.e., insulating material which will not involve any risk of effecting either dangerous electrical contact or short-circuiting, in a single piece, i.e., obtained directly without machining or assembly at a particularly advantageous cost price. Furthermore, they comprise safety 3 means affording correction, guiding and locking such as are necessary for the satisfactory operation of a connector.

The present invention is in no way limited to the mode of embodiment described and illustrated, purely by way of example; in particular, it would be possible without exceeding the scope of the. invention to modify some arrangements or to replace some means by other equivalent means.

I claim:

l. A connector assembly adapted to be engaged on a support member comprising, a fixed part and at least one removable part adapted for cooperation with said fixed part, said fixed part having a base portion engage-,

able with a slideway on said support member, a central recess formed longitudinally through said fixed part, at

least one port opening through a side wall of said fixed.

part into said centralrecess at right angles thereto, the height and width of the opening of said port being less than the width of said central recess, wherein a ridge is formed at the edge of the opening of said port adjacent a wall of said central recess, said removable part having a body with a first and a second finger extending from one side thereof in parallel relationship, said first and second fingers inserted through said port into said central recess of said fixed part, the end of said first finger extending beyond the end of said second finger to act as a guide for said removable part during insertion into said fixed part, said first finger having a thickness corresponding generally to the width of said port in said fixed part to act as a guide, said second finger having a locking notch formed on the end thereof and engaging with said ridge formed in said fixed part to lock said removable part in engagement with said fixed part, said removable part, further comprising a slot formed therein between said first and second fingers to permit the movement of'said second finger in the direction of said first finger to disengage said locking notch from said ridge to permit removal of said removable part from said fixed part. t

2. A connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein said fixed part in said removable part are formed from insulating plastic material.

3. A connector assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that said removable part is provided with a port provided for assembly with removable electrical connector parts.

4. A connector assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that the port is T-shaped.

5. A connector assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixed part comprises a plurality of ports on its periphery.

6. A connector assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that the fixed part comprises on its periphery, three sets of cooperating ports offset from each other. 

1. A connector assembly adapted to be engaged on a support member comprising, a fixed part and at least one removable part adapted for cooperation wiTh said fixed part, said fixed part having a base portion engageable with a slideway on said support member, a central recess formed longitudinally through said fixed part, at least one port opening through a side wall of said fixed part into said central recess at right angles thereto, the height and width of the opening of said port being less than the width of said central recess, wherein a ridge is formed at the edge of the opening of said port adjacent a wall of said central recess, said removable part having a body with a first and a second finger extending from one side thereof in parallel relationship, said first and second fingers inserted through said port into said central recess of said fixed part, the end of said first finger extending beyond the end of said second finger to act as a guide for said removable part during insertion into said fixed part, said first finger having a thickness corresponding generally to the width of said port in said fixed part to act as a guide, said second finger having a locking notch formed on the end thereof and engaging with said ridge formed in said fixed part to lock said removable part in engagement with said fixed part, said removable part further comprising a slot formed therein between said first and second fingers to permit the movement of said second finger in the direction of said first finger to disengage said locking notch from said ridge to permit removal of said removable part from said fixed part.
 2. A connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein said fixed part in said removable part are formed from insulating plastic material.
 3. A connector assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that said removable part is provided with a port provided for assembly with removable electrical connector parts.
 4. A connector assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that the port is T-shaped.
 5. A connector assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixed part comprises a plurality of ports on its periphery.
 6. A connector assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that the fixed part comprises on its periphery, three sets of cooperating ports offset from each other. 